


A Storm of Tears

by Aurya



Series: A Breath of Wilderness [6]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Female Link, Gen, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-18 01:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14842601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurya/pseuds/Aurya
Summary: In Divine Beast Vah Ruta, a Champion's spirit weeps...





	1. Trek to Zora's Domain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gentle-temperament horses SUCK*. I don't know how a 2★ Speed rating can be so much worse than a 3★ Speed rating, but it drives me crazy. I caught a new horse, and in the interest of not playing the "reduced to replacement" game that would arise from a new Valor, that's the horse Link is going to have for the rest of this series. Dark coat, white mane. 1★ Strength, 3★ Speed, 3★ Stamina. I might have her wrangle the Giant Horse and the Royal White Stallion in some other chapters.
> 
> This one has Agro's blaze, too. I am convinced that someone on the Breath of the Wild team is a Team Ico fan. If the horse designs are randomized, the RNG counts.
> 
> *Epona does not count as a Gentle-temperament horse for the purposes of this declaration
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]  
> -[Soldier's Broadsword]  
> -Soldier's Claymore  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -[Soldier's Bow]  
> -[Arrow ×43]  
> -Fire Arrow ×8  
> -Ice Arrow ×1  
> -[Soldier's Shield]  
> -[Champion's Tunic]  
> -[Hylian Hood]  
> -[Hylian Trousers]  
> (assorted armour which varies depending on the order you are reading this series, and will not be relevant to this fic)

"Somebody, please!"

A woman had been watching the Hylia River flow by from the bridge near the Wetland Stable when a blue Bokoblin had attacked her. She had narrowly managed to avoid being struck by its initial blow (courtesy of the way blins screamed when they tried to attack), but she didn't want to try her luck surviving; the stable was too far away for anyone who might be hearing her cries to come to her aid in time.

Unless they happened to already be on that road.

Hoofbeats on wood drew the Bokoblin's attention, though not soon enough for it to escape. A dark horse, whose white mane was trimmed short enough to stand straight up, was at a full gallop across the bridge; upon his back rode a figure in a tunic of azure, with a dark hood raised over her head connected to a cape that flowed behind her. In the woman's right hand was a steel sword; she quickly brought it into a sharp swing, and in the same motion pulled on her horse's reins. The blow knocked the Bokoblin off the bridge and into the water - and blins were not known swimmers - and the horse skidded to a halt at the end of the bridge.

Link quickly sheathed her sword, and in one motion dismounted Lugria, turning to the woman she had defended. "Are you alright?"

"L-Looks like it," she confirmed. "Thanks. I might've been that thing's stew without you." She shook her head. "I like watching the river flow by. Is that such a crime? Seeing the water stream so peacefully makes it hard to believe the Great Calamity really happened... then monsters attack out of nowhere."

"I know what you mean," Link admitted.

She stepped up to her horse and took his reins, walking with him toward the nearby stable. It was half an hour past noon; once she was near enough, she released the reins to let him to graze. A tall, feathered figure was playing an accordion as she neared, playing a slow, calming melody that evoked wildlife; curious, Link stepped up to him, and he seemed to notice, turning towards her.

"Greetings, traveler," he mused. "How about a song?" Link was about to respond when he seemed to start. "Th-That there..." She was expecting him to comment on her Sheikah Slate when he shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, it's nothing."

Link eyed his instrument curiously. "Are you a bird?"

The figure seemed surprised. "Have you... never met a Rito before?" he inquired.

"I didn't think all Rito were minstrels," Link replied.

"Pardon?"

Link blinked, concerned, and realized that something about this conversation felt like it had gone south. "Wait, what I just ask?"

"If I was a bird," the musician replied.

Link's hands went up to her mouth in horror. "Oh! Goddess!  _Bard!_ Are you are a  _bard!_ I am  **so** sorry."

The Rito laughed at her correction. "No worries," he insisted. "I suppose we are even." Then, introducing himself properly; "I am Kass. I am indeed a bard, travelling this land in search of ancient songs. Have you heard of them - the ancient songs of Hyrule?"

"No, I have not," Link admitted.

"They are songs that sing the praises of a hero who beat back the Calamity in an age past," Kass explained. "One of the more famous among them recounts the events of ten thousand years ago. I happen to know the song of the ancient hero - passed down to me by my teacher. Do you care to hear it?"

Link scratched at her head through the back of her hood. "Another time, perhaps," she admitted.

"Very well."

As Kass resumed his music, Link turned and - leaving Lugria to his own devices for the moment - started up a nearby hill. A high place always served as a decent survey point, and though this one was not exceptionally high, it was blocking her view of the area around the stable. She couldn't help but wonder if the stable had been built there on purpose, prioritizing refuge over scenery.

She crested the hill, and the landscape was revealed; a wetland extended east, with thin, narrow trees reaching out of the soggy earth. Further away, lesser mountains arced and weaved, and atop one she could see a Sheikah tower... and beyond it, the skies were covered in stormy clouds that seemed to remain motionless in the air.

Link narrowed her gaze.  _I wonder..._

* * *

A shrine in the wetlands drew her attention mid-trek (she had developed a tendency to turn her Sheikah Sensor off until she had obtained a region map from the towers), though getting through it didn't take more than half an hour. Unfortunately, Lugria had disappeared while she was inside, and a pair of Lizalfos seemed to be on watch; she was able to slip around the shrine before they noticed her... and the one that waited for her on the other side was quickly disposed of.

She was starting towards the tower again when a female voice reached her ears. "Ah! You there!" Then, when Link looked around for the source; "Over here! Over heeere!"

Her attention was drawn to a deeper portion of the wetlands nearby. Someone was swimming in it - a scaled figure of dark blue and pale white. "I knew it! You're a Hylian, aren't you?! Yes, you must be a Hylian! Otherwise you're one unfortunate-looking Zora!"

Link chuckled awkwardly, stepping forward. "Yes, I'm a Hylian," she confirmed. "What of it?"

"Your timing couldn't be more perfect if you tried!" the Zora observed. "I was ordered by Prince Sidon to find a Hylian! I've been searching nonstop! Yes, quite. I certainly wasn't just floating around in the water for fun."

"I'm going to ignore that part," Link admitted, "and just ask 'Who's Sidon'."

The Zora seemed relieved at her comment. "Prince Sidon is a member of the distinguished Zora royal family," she explained. Turning and beckoning towards the tower; "He's waiting at Inogo Bridge, which is on the other side of that tall tower. I do hope you'll agree to go there and meet with him."

Link turned toward the tower.  _I knew it. Those stormy clouds..._

"Ah, yes." The Zora's comment drew her attention back to reality. "You must be taken aback by such a sudden request. My apologies. For us Zora, this is our top priority right now. So I must beg you to grant my request."

"No worries," Link insisted. "I was going that way in any case. Thank you for the... clearer directions."

* * *

The journey across the wetlands was much harder without a horse - and harder still when she stumbled across a Guardian Crawler not even halfway there. Another Zora was swimming beneath a bridge that she crossed as the sun was nearly vanished on the horizon, waving her down; she informed Link that Inogo Bridge was  _around_ the mountain where the tower was, and not over it. With how late it had gotten, Link was not in the mood to climb towers in the dark; she elected to follow the river, eventually finding a shrine that overlooked what she presumed to be Inogo Bridge.

She didn't reach it without a tussle with some Stalizalfos - and a living one.

After a brief dip into this shrine (and a bout with a Guardian Scout carrying a sword and shield, which cost her a claymore), she made her way down to the bridge. On the near end was a pair of luminescent pillars, providing illumination event despite the late hour and the rainfall.

"Say, hey there! Young one!"

Link came to a halt, looking around. A man's voice had spoken.

"Up top! Above you!"

Her gaze ascended one of the pillars - and a figure leapt from its peak. A dark-scaled Zora, with a figure to shame Hylian bodybuilders, landed a short distance away; he had a strap across his torso as though to hold a weapon, and silver ornamentation hung from around his neck and waist. A pair of weighty epaulettes rested upon his shoulders, and he had what appeared to be a broadsword hooked on his belt.

"Pardon the entrance," he pleaded, "but you're a Hylian, aren't you? I was hoping perhaps you'd have a moment to talk."

The Hylian in question looked him up and down. "Are you...?"

"Oh, pardon me... I am Sidon, the Zora prince!" He pumped a fist before him and offered a friendly grin. "And what is your name?"

"I am Link."

"Link? What a fantastic name!" The prince seemed a bit... boisterous, though he did fall quiet as he seemed to contemplate. "Though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard it somewhere before... In any case, it is a strong name!"

"...Thanks?" Link stumbled.

"To be honest, I've been watching you," Sidon observed. Then, when Link started; "I saw your approach, and I've seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person. Link, you must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!"

Link was torn at his prompt. On one hand, she was - supposedly - the appointed knight of Princess Zelda, one hundred years ago, and she had her doubts that such a position would be assigned at random. On the other hand... she was running from Guardians, and avoiding as much combat as she could afford to. "N-Not particularly," she argued.

"No, no, no!" Sidon insisted. "Do not be so humble! I can tell just looking at you. I am a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled! Yes, exquisite! I have been searching for someone like you for a long while. A Hylian like you, who carries herself with power! Right now, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta!"

"Did you say Divine Beast?"

Any doubts that Link had about travelling in the right direction vanished in an instant. Sidon, however, seemed to misunderstand her exclamation as one of fear. "Please, Link. Promise you will help us! We need your strength! Won't you please come to Zora's Domain with me?"

"Absolutely," Link replied.

"Wow! Really?!" Sidon seemed relieved. "Thank you, Link! You are indeed the warrior I thought you to be! Now, Zora's Domain will be saved for certain!" He turned towards the bridge. "Because of the rain, the cliffs are too wet to climb. You'll need to travel along this path to reach the domain. As a Hylian, I know you are unable to swim up the river. As such, the path to the domain may be treacherous. You likely have a tough fight in store - there are monsters up ahead that attack with electricity. But don't give up!"

Link shook her head. "I had no plans to."

"Excellent!" Sidon praised. Then; "Oh, yes! I have something I wish to give you!" He briefly leapt into the water of the river... and then, to Link's amazement, shot out of the water with enough speed to ascend to the top of the pillar again. After a moment, he leapt back down with a bottle in his hands. "This is just a small trinket to show that I have faith in you."

Link accepted the bottle, full of a curious golden liquid. "What is this?"

"It is an elixir that will increase your resistance to electricity," the prince replied. "I am not sure why, but it does not seem to work for Zora. Perhaps the recipe is specifically made for Hylians. It should aid your journey greatly!" He stepped back. "I shall go on ahead and make sure there is not anything strange going on where you are headed. I'm counting on you!"

He leapt away and dove into the river, and Link steeled herself for a long journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always make the first Captured Memory be the Sacred Ground Ruins.
> 
> Okay, I bought a house in Hateno and most of the equipment displays. Beyond that point, the rules for my challenge run in the writing of this series are as follows:  
> -All amiibo are forbidden, as are the contents of all EX Chests.  
> -If Link falls asleep, in a bed, he must rest within the next 48 hours. If he sits by a campfire, he must rest within the next 24.  
> -Upon first entry of a Divine Beast, weapon/shield/bow inventory must only consist of those which were designed by the race whose Champion piloted that Divine Beast (i.e. Zora equipment for Vah Ruta).  
> -The game must be saved before entering a Divine Beast. Upon the acquisition of a Champion's weapon, the game must be loaded from that save. Once this has been done to each Divine Beast at least once, they are free to be properly completed.  
> -The Master Sword must be drawn with no more than thirteen hearts.  
> -The Horned Statue is a jackass and not to be spoken to.  
> -Having a Great Fairy strengthen your garb qualifies as adultery, and Link is faithful.  
> -The blood moon must not trigger. (Draco's trope snark: #SignatureStyle)


	2. The Zora Champion's Beloved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody else feel like the effects of the Ancient Bridle and the Ancient Saddle should be the other way around? The extra spurs should be on the Saddle, and the summoning effect should be on the Bridle.
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]:  
> -Guardian Sword  
> -Lightning Rod  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -Silver Longsword  
> -Moblin Club  
> -Zora Spear  
> -Moblin Spear  
> -[Soldier's Bow]  
> -Knight's Bow  
> -[Arrow ×63]  
> -Fire Arrow ×8  
> -Ice Arrow ×1  
> -[Soldier's Shield]  
> -Guardian Shield  
> -[Champion's Tunic]  
> -[Hylian Hood]  
> -[Hylian Trousers]  
> (assorted armour which varies depending on the order you are reading this series, and will not be relevant to this fic)

It was three hours past noon when Link arrived at her destination - worn tired from having travelled all night. As she made her way across the long bridge that connected the nearest stretch of rock to the domain, she saw a familiar hammer-headed figure approaching; Prince Sidon looked relieved to see her.

"I've been waiting for you, Link!" he greeted. "Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora's Domain! Now, I shall introduce you to the king. Come, this way!"

He started back into the Domain, and Link, though tired, thought it best not to keep a king waiting and make the prince look like a fool. As she followed him - at a rather lacking pace, all told - she noticed quite a few eyes on her throughout the domain. Some bore caution, others curiosity, and at least one had hostility, but all of those gazes seemed to bear  _familiarity_ at the Hylian making her way through the domain.

She elected not to lower her hood until she had reached the throne, at the top of the domain. As she stepped inside, she found a positively  _massive_ Zora seated in a pool opposite the entrance; at his left was Sidon, and at his right was a red-scaled Zora who looked like he'd seen a good few years more than the prince had.

"Ah, you must be the Hylian that Sidon brought here, correct?" The king nodded appreciatively. "You did well to come all the way here. I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora."

Link bowed her head. "A pleasure, your Highness," she replied. "I-"

"Hm?" The king's interruption caught her off-guard, but she elected to fall silent as he spoke. "That object upon your waist... is that not a Sheikah Slate?!" Then; " ** _Hm?!_** Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all too clear who you are...

"You are the Hylian Champion, Link!"

The Champion in question raised her gaze, startled. "Um... your Highness?"

"Do not tell me you have forgotten me..."

"The Hylian Champion?" Sidon echoed, drawing Link's attention. "You can't mean  _the_ Link?  **That** Champion?" He pounded a fist into his palm. "So that is where I have heard your name before! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!"

"I-I am so confused," Link murmured.

King Dorephan shook his head. "I cannot believe it," he admitted. "The Hylian Champion has reappeared before us... We have met numerous times, I'll have you know. Ah, so many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend. I had heard a terrible rumour that you have fallen in combat, but it appears you have managed to survive - and all these years, what's more! Extraordinary!"

Link thought now would be a good time to speak up. "I've been... sleeping," she explained. "And I've lost my memories of a hundred years ago."

"Come again?" The king loomed forward, catching Link off-guard, though she refrained from retreating in response. "Lost your memory? But... surely you remember my daughter, Mipha, yes? You do, do you not?"

Her gaze fell... but that name, on its own, earned no recollection. "I'm sorry, no."

The king seemed distraught. "I cannot believe it... You and Mipha were so close, and yet you do not remember her?" He shook his head. "Young hero, please, look upon the beauty of Zora's Domain.

Warily, Link turned around; from the throne room, she had a view of everything in the domain, save the interiors of a few shops she had seen on her way up.

"Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha's immortalized form still not jog your memory?" He shook his head. "Well, perhaps it will return in time. I dearly hope so."

Sidon spoke as Link was turning back around. "Father, I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link seems confused."

"Oh? Yes, of course." The king coughed lightly. "But first, it is worth noting... how remarkable it is that Sidon brought a Champion here without realizing it! That is quite a feat my boy!" He laughed joyfully, and Link realized what he was doing - a light joke to dismiss the dark mood he had inadvertently wrought.

An unsuccessful attempt... but not unappreciated.

"Link, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea." King Dorephan's tone had become one of seriousness. "Now, then, Hero... I must inform you that Zora's Domain is at risk of destruction because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the favour of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?"

"What?!"

The red Zora at the king's right had remained silent to this point; now, abruptly, he reacted to the king's request, turning to face him. "King Dorephan, my liege! Please do not speak so! To ask a Hylian for help... the very thought of it curls my fins!"

The king turned to him, looking almost disappointed. "Muzu, I expected more of you. How can you still protest?"

"Muzu!" Sidon's call drew the elderly Zora's attention. "It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guest. Link is here because  _I_ invited her! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian. Have we not already discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? She is the key to saving Zora's Domain. I have no doubt in my mind."

"Indeed," King Dorephan agreed. "Link is a Champion, through and through. As things now stand, Zora's Domain - nay! Perhaps all of Hyrule - is doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together."

"Have you forgotten already, my king?!" Muzu protested. "We cannot trust these lowly Hylians! A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today!" He shook his head. "And that is not the least of it! It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us..."

The throne room was caught in an unpleasant silence, save for the rainfall outside.

King Dorephan was the one who broke it. "Link... Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It possesses the ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late, it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rain. For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you may not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage will befall not only Zora's Domain, but also the area downstream from us. There, Hylian lives are in great danger."

A loud noise echoed from outside the domain, drawing the attention of all three Zora as well as Link; and there was an unusual sorrow in that sound that she could not place.

"The Divine Beast is crying out once again..."

The king turned back to Link. "Your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta's shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them."

Sidon spoke up from the side again. "Seggin - who is quite shock-resistant for a Zora - hit one with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit. Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force. That is why I went in search of a Hylian who could help us!"

"I understand," Link observed. "You can't handle the electricity, so you can't well shut Ruta down yourself. But with a Hylian to assist you, you just need to give me a good aim. Then I can shock the orbs, and Ruta stops raining."

"Yes," Sidon confirmed. "Please, help me stop Ruta's rampage of destruction!"

Link sighed. "Alright," she insisted. "But not by _destroying_ Ruta." Turning to King Dorephan; "I need to  _enter_ the Divine Beast, and free it from the Calamity. Princess Zelda asked me to."

" _Whaat?!_ " King Dorephan sounded startled at that. "Then... Princess Zelda is still alive?"

"Yes," Link confirmed. "In Hyrule Castle, holding back Ganon."

"I do not believe it," the king sighed. "She was alive this whole time, just as you were!" He shook his head. "The events of one hundred years ago cannot be altered, it is true... but if we can regain control of the Divine Beasts, they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!"

Sidon shook his head. "I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Link," he praised. "Wondrous! Naturally, I shall help too! Once it has stopped rampaging, you can easily climb inside it. Come, Link! Let us appease Ruta together!"

"Of course," Link assured.

The king nodded. "Thank you, Link. Truly. We are in your debt. Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny." He turned, and to Link's surprise seized something from a shelf hidden ingeniously high in the throne room. "Now, allow me to offer you this, as a show of faith."

Link accepted what he held out to her - it appeared to be a tunic, except it was made of blue scales, making it seem more like armour. It  _weighed_ more like armour, too; yet in her hands, it had flexibility enough to argue against it. "What is...?"

"So long as you wear this," the king explained, "you can ascend waterfalls the same as a Zora. Please, take good care of it."

" **King Dorephan!!** " Muzu's tone had gone from pleading to furious. "Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora Armour! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armour to the one they have sworn to marry! Lady Mipha made that one there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!"

Link's attention went to the armour in her hands. She had not thought it so significant; she could understand Muzu's anger.

"She may well be a Champion," Muzu continued, aiming a glare on Link, "but Mipha had no such relationship with her! Why should  **she** receive such an honour?" He turned and stormed out of the throne room. "This is just too much, my liege! I cannot understand it one bit!"

The king hummed displeasedly. "That Muzu is not easily swayed once his mind is set," he observed. "You must understand... He was in charge of educating my dear daughter. Naturally, she means a lot to him... just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness." His gaze went off to the throne room entrance. "Ah, but what shall we do now? I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows we will need to appease Ruta. But now he has rushed off in a huff..."

Sidon shook his head. "Link, do not let his words concern you. I will work this out with Muzu. I shall return shortly!"

He turned and took off after the elderly Zora - and King Dorephan followed him with his eyes.

Link turned back to him. "With respect, your Highness," she insisted, "I... I feel that perhaps Muzu is right. I... I really shouldn't be given something like this. I can't believe that there's no alternative. How can you give me something so precious?"

"...Try it on," King Dorephan insisted. "Then, you will understand."

* * *

"It fits perfectly..."

Against her better judgement, Link had decided she would follow the king's advice before finding a bed. A small waterfall's basin to the domain's west provided the privacy she needed; the Sheikah Slate had dismissed her hood and Champion's Tunic, and she had equipped herself with the Zora Armour that the king had given her.

The armoured scales of the chestplate rested upon her shoulders and across her back; the rest of the garb was mostly of a soft fabric to cover her torso and arms. Silver pauldrons sat upon her shoulders, and silver gauntlets rested upon her forearms; a silver chain served in lieu of a strap on which she could hook a sword's sheath or a bow's frame, and another served as a belt on which she could hook the Sheikah Slate.

None of it offered the slightest resistance; it fit her just as well as the tunic Impa had given her, whose goddess azure marked her as a Champion.

With a groan, she grabbed the Slate and pressed it against her chest, causing the armour to demanifest. "I have not gotten nearly enough sleep for this," she murmured, tapping at its surface to put her tunic and hood back on; behind the clouds, the sun was on its way down, and she hadn't fallen asleep since she had woken up yesterday morning. Suspecting that Sidon would not have convinced Muzu quite yet, she started back into the Domain.

Sure enough, Muzu and Sidon were in conversation before the statue in the plaza. Link ended up coming down the stairs in full view of the elderly Zora, who only huffed disdainfully as she approached. "You came all the way here," he observed, "but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with you."

Link only shrugged, not really expecting much more.

Sidon objected. " _Listen_ , Muzu. There is something you need to know. She who stands here, the Champion called Link..." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "She is the one who my sister had feelings for."

Words refused to form, and so Link's mouth simply fell open.

Muzu was of a similar - though more articulate - reaction. "What...?" He seemed somewhere between anger and shock. "You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie!" he protested. "Not this Zora!"

Sidon shook his head. "I was only a child then, so I did not know it myself at the time. But it is so. My father told me stories about her - and her undying love for a Hylian named Link."

Link's attention was drawn to the statue they stood before; the Zora princess, immortalized in the center of the domain.  _She... and I?_

"I won't have it," Muzu denied. "How could Lady Mipha have held feelings for a Hylian like her? The facts are clear, she remembers nothing!"

"It is the truth," Sidon insisted. Though you never knew it, he was ever in Mipha's heart."

Their argument faded to silence... and images flickered through Link's mind.

* * *

_"No matter when, or how bad the wound."_

* * *

"...nk? Link!"

A sharp breath forced itself out as Link was brought back to reality; Sidon was looking at her, concerned, and Muzu had an expression of confusion on his face. "Are you unwell?" the prince asked, worried.

"What? Unwell?"

"You went still for a moment," Muzu observed, "and now you are quivering like a hatchling." Link glanced at her hands and found them trembling. "Whatever is the matter?"

"I... I saw her," Link replied. "Mipha."

Muzu started. " _What!?_ " He sounded almost insulted. "Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian! There is no way you remembered her just now, when it is most convenient!"

Link shook her head. "We were on Ruta. She was healing me. I showed her my brands. She... she said she wanted to protect me."

"Preposterous," Muzu muttered. Then, louder; "In any case, I without any solid proof, I cannot take you at your word! If you have any such proof, now is the time to show it!"

"Proof," Link echoed. Then, with an angry scoff, she raised her gaze to Sidon. "That's proof enough for me to believe you. I was wondering why it was like that."

Sidon seemed confused. "Sorry?"

Link seized the Sheikah Slate on her hip. "You said... Mipha had feelings for me," she explained. "I'm gonna be totally honest with you, I wasn't sure whether to believe it myself. But then, I suppose otherwise..."

Her torso was wrapped in a blue light; when it faded, the goddess azure of her Champion's Tunic had been replaced with scales and silver.

"...this wouldn't fit so well."

Muzu was dumbfounded. "What..." He seemed to not understand. "That... that is the Zora Armour from before! Lady Mipha made that by hand, and yet... it fits you perfectly!"

Link grabbed at the flaps of her Hylian Hood; they rested in the gap between the silver of the pauldrons and the fabric of the tunic where the scales didn't extend. "Didn't think that would sit there so nicely," she admitted.

Sidon spoke up. "Now you understand, do you not?" he asked of Muzu. "Now you know who her heart belonged to - and who she made this armour for. The fact that it fits her so perfectly should be proof enough that Mipha made it for her alone!" He shook his head. "You have always been disdainful of Hylians, even before the Great Calamity. That is why she never told you."

"Hmph..." Muzu turned to Link, seeming almost sorrowful. "I never would have imagined..."

His gaze went to the princess' statue - as did Link's.

_Mipha... what else am I missing about us?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out the Master Cycle Zero can tank a Guardian's beam. If it hits the back tire, it'll only do a single heart of damage with an armour rating of 9 and no shield (can a shield on your back block attacks in this game? I don't think so).


	3. Stormfall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless Kingdom Hearts reference courtesy of Draco hardballing his novelizations again. To quote the dragon: Hylia bless the WiiU GamePad.
> 
> "Zanbato" is the Japanese form of the Chinese "Zan Ma Dhao", which refers to a sword big enough to cut through rider and horse in one stroke. If you're allowed to be on your own horse when you judge that, the Fierce Deity Sword counts. I can take out a horse entire if I swing that thing while on a 3★ at a gallop, and the only Bokoblins that'll survive their horse dying are Silver, and Silver creatures are freaks of nature.
> 
> Also: a Lynel can keep pace with the Master Cycle Zero. At full throttle. And ready an arrow to fire at you. If you're banking hard to the left, it will stay on your tail the entire time and keep missing you.
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]:  
> -Zora Sword  
> -Silver Longsword  
> -[Zora Spear]  
> -Silverscale Spear  
> -[Silver Bow]  
> -Arrow ×63  
> -Fire Arrow ×8  
> -Ice Arrow ×1  
> -[Shock Arrow ×20]  
> -[Silver Shield]  
> -Champion's Tunic  
> -Hylian Hood  
> -Hylian Trousers  
> -[Zora Helm]  
> -[Zora Armour]  
> -[Zora Greaves]  
> (assorted armour which varies depending on the order in which you read this series, and will not be relevant to this fic)

"Link!"

Sidon's greeting as the Hylian Champion arrived at the edge of the East Reservoir Lake's dock earned him a quick nod. "I'm ready," she informed him.

The Zora prince gave Link an inquisitive once-over. "It seems the stories are true," he observed.

Link angled her head. "Stories?"

"Zora Armour is the unique purview of the royal family," Sidon explained, "but greaves and helms are relatively common craft. They said if a Zora princess' beloved should acquire a helm and a set of greaves, they will seem a warrior to shame any Zora." He glanced in the direction of Ploymus Mountain. "I heard a suspicious  _roar_ earlier," he admitted, "and saw something fall from Shatterback Point."

"That would be the Lynel," Link explained.

Sidon laughed, amazed. "You lured the man-beast off of Shatterback Point?"

"No," Link replied, with a smirk, "I  _rode_ the man-beast off Shatterback Point and dismounted before it cleared the edge."

The prince's mouth dropped. "You mounted a  **Lynel**?"

"Its lower half is a horse," Link defended. "Don't tell me I'm the first person to think of that." She had a strange feeling that it wasn't the first time she'd said those words.

Sidon shook his head. "No matter," he insisted. "Are you ready to go?'

Link nodded, setting a hand on her quiver. "Loaded with twenty shock arrows, I've got practice climbing waterfalls, and I can hit a Bokoblin in the head at twenty paces in free-fall."

"That was a bit more information than I required," Sidon admitted. "But no matter. Now, let us go and appease this Divine Beast as one!"

"Seconded!"

Sidon leapt backwards, twisting into a flip and diving into the water before surfacing near the dock.

"Gaze now upon the Divine Beast's back!" he instructed; and Link turned her attention to Ruta. Four waterfalls were pouring from its back, two on either side; and above each was a shine in ominous pink. "Do you see those glowing, pink orbs? You will need to strike each of them with a shock arrow! So, I shall take you right up to the side of the Divine Beast, and from there, you can swim up and take aim!"

Link nodded. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Excellent. Now, hurry and get on my back!"

The Champion leapt into the water, and Sidon turned around; once her hands were securely on his shoulders, the Zora prince started to swim forward - at positively blinding speeds. As they approached, Ruta started to thrash, prompting Sidon to swim into a wide arc around the Divine Beast.

"I'll keep going at full speed!" he told Link. "It's up to you to ward of Ruta's attacks. The ancient Sheikah technology gives it many mystical powers to use against us. That includes hurling giant ice blocks that we will need to watch out for!"

Link seized the Sheikah Slate from her hip. "Leave those to me!"

No sooner had she said it than at Ruta's side began to manifest - just as Sidon had said - great blocks of ice, covered in patterns like the ice her Cryonis formed. She quickly tapped through her runes as one broke away and soared towards them; Ruta knew how to lead a target, and the block was soaring into Sidon's path before Link shattered it. The other was broken well in advance, and the last Link managed to smash before it had even left Ruta's side.

"Here we go..."

Sidon quickly sped up to Ruta's side; as they neared the waterfalls, Link leapt from the prince's back, and he sped under the flow as Link landed in the basin... and quickly began to ascend. With the magic woven into the scales of the Zora Armour, she was able to surge upward through the fall with such speed that, when she reached the top of the arc, she continued heavenward for a moment, giving her ample time to draw her Silver Bow and a shock arrow from her quiver.

Time seemed to grind to a crawl as she pulled back on the string, taking aim at one of Ruta's orbs. As she loosed the arrow, she altered her grip, letting the bowstring hook around her wrist as her paraglider appeared in her hands; the arrow connected with the orb, turning bright yellow, and she quickly released the paraglider and took aim again to fire at the other on that side.

She hit the water as the arrow was connecting, and that orb, too, turned bright yellow. "I knew you could do it!" Sidon praised, swimming back up to her; she quickly seized his shoulders again as he began to dash through the water again. "Don't get thrown off!"

Unfortunately, Ruta seemed to be  **angered** by the assault; as they circled around to her other side, ice began to manifest again - this time spiked orbs that could gore Zora and Hylian alike. One broke free, and as Link seized her Sheikah Slate it hit the water behind them, bobbing through the water and rotating so quickly it was hard to get a lock on it - and moving fast enough to catch up to Sidon.

_Wait, if I..._

Hoping it would work, Link aimed her Cryonis at the water immediately behind her - which quickly became a good distance away, at Sidon's speed. The ice hadn't even finished forming before Ruta's projectile connected with it, shattering both; she proceeded to give the next to pursuing orbs the same treatment, and as the last one shattered, Sidon charged towards the waterfalls on Ruta's other side. Link climbed this one as she had the last, this time ending up with a bit more forward momentum than before. Time slowed around her again as she took aim at one orb and loosed her shock arrow; as it connected, she turned to the other and took aim as well.

Her forward momentum gave her trouble; Ruta felt her getting too close, and a massive barrier rippled up in her path, throwing her away. Her arrow slammed wayward into the Divine Beast's stone body, ineffective, and she hit the water roughly, prompting Sidon swam up to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Link insisted as she surfaced. "Let's keep moving!"

She'd pissed Ruta off more now; as Sidon circled away, a cascade of ice appeared around the Divine Beast's side, five blocks and five orbs ready to strike. With a foul utterance that had Sidon double-taking, Link grabbed her Sheikah Slate again, taking aim at each projectile as it neared. Block, orb, block, orb, block, orb, orb, block, block, orb; as the last one shattered, Sidon charged towards the fall beneath Ruta's last orb. "Make it count!"

The Champion leapt from his back, hit the base of the fall, and surged up its flow; she'd barely cleared the water before she had her bow in hand, and she drew a shock arrow from her quiver and took aim while she was still rising.

A single tight breath amongst that stillness; then she fired.

That final shot of voltage was more than the Divine Beast could bear; the waterfalls from beneath the orbs came to abrupt halts, and Ruta's trunk reached skyward for a moment before falling into the water with a loud splash. The rain began to cease as Link landed in the water for herself; Sidon swam up to her side, and Link seized his shoulders once more as the Divine Beast seemed to rise.

"She's floating higher now," Sidon observed. "I'll bring you to the entrance." Turning to Link; "Best of luck."

"Thanks."

At Ruta's side was a balcony of sorts, with a Guidance Stone upon it; Link quickly leapt from Sidon's back, landing upon that surface, and turned back to him as he pumped his fist in the water. "Show the enemy no fear!" he urged. "I'll see you back at Zora's Domain."

"Count on it," Link assured him.

* * *

**Sheikah Slate authenticated. Travel gate registered to map.**

Link pulled the Slate away as the travel gate on Ruta's side - much wider than the ones at the shrines throughout Hyrule - lit up, showing it was active. As she hooked the Slate back on her hip, a voice echoed around her - a female voice.

The Zora Champion's voice.

_"You're here..."_

She turned to the Divine Beast. "Mipha...?"

 _"Link..."_ Mipha sounded brought to joyful tears.  _"I must say... I am so happy to see this day has arrived. I feared you lost - betrayed by the Guardians and struck down. But here you are..."_

The Hylian Champion bowed her head. "I'm sorry to have worried you. But I'm here now. I'll see Ruta freed. I promise you."

_"Thank you..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accept no responsibility if you try and lure a Lynel off the edge of Shatterback Point.
> 
> If you dive and then warp mid-fall, you stop moving while the warp plays. It's not just them freezing the image and applying the graphics to Link; if you're wearing a cap or a Hylian Hood, it'll hang down over your head.


	4. Scourge of Vah Ruta/Mipha's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just watched Draco say "You have arrived" in Xemnas' voice and then spend five minutes trying to remember who sounded like that. He accused me of recognizing it immediately and trolling him with my silence. (He's right)
> 
> Gonna be away from the WiiU after this entry. Next Divine Beast might take a while.
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]:  
> -Zora Sword  
> -Silver Longsword  
> -[Zora Spear]  
> -Silverscale Spear  
> -Guardian Sword  
> -Guardian Spear  
> -[Silver Bow]  
> -[Arrow ×63]  
> -Fire Arrow ×8  
> -Ice Arrow ×1  
> -Shock Arrow ×15  
> -[Silver Shield]  
> -Champion's Tunic  
> -Hylian Hood  
> -Hylian Trousers  
> -[Zora Helm]  
> -[Zora Armour]  
> -[Zora Greaves]  
> (assorted armour which varies depending on the order in which you read this series, and will not be relevant to this fic)

Darkness.

As Link approached the main control unit of Divine Beast Vah Ruta, she realized that the foremost region was draped in a darkness that the twilight sun failed to penetrate. The open arches, scattered across Ruta's body, should have let the light through, yet they seemed to be obscured; there was nothing covering them, but the light failed to enter nonetheless.

Standing before the control unit was a humanoid figure - but its body seemed to shift, and writhe, and  _burn_ with an unholy fire.

**"The Zora people... Such a fragile race, and yet so resolute. No matter the hardships visited upon them, they persevere all the same. Like carp swimming upriver."**

It turned to face Link, and she saw lightless voids of white where its eyes should have been.

**"And up the falls to become dragons."**

Ruta shook - not the movement of the Divine Beast, but a tremor sourced elsewhere. The being before Link dissipated into the air, and Malice began to swirl around the control unit; as Link charged forward, the light of the Sheikah technology began to flow out of it. It gathered where she had been standing; and she turned to find some _thing_ manifesting in the air.

A clawed hand.

A long lance.

And a three-pronged face that glared at Link through a single, pale blue eye.

 _"Please take care,"_ Mipha warned.  _"That... **thing** is one of Ganon's creations. I put up as much of a fight as I could, but it proved to be my demise one hundred years ago."_

Fury began to well up in Link; she seized the Zora Spear on her back, readying it in both hands. "I'll kill you," she growled. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you!  _I'll kill you! **I'll kill you!**_ "

The creature drew its lance back to thrust, and Link charged forward with her own weapon raised.

" _ **GANON!**_ "

As soon as that weapon of light started towards her, the Hylian Champion moved to the side - just enough that the weapon passed through the air at her side, rather than striking her. The Malice's movements crawled as she charged forward, landing seven rapid, violent thrusts that had the creature reeling; then she leapt as it hit the ground, driving her spear into its eye.

The weapon shattered as her foe started to rise; she quickly seized her Sheikah Slate, and another spear appeared on her back - a spear taken from a Guardian Scout, bladeless until she drew it, whereupon its head formed an edge of solid light. Five more thrusts connected before Ganon's creation got to its feet; its body turned to Sheikah light, and the sixth thrust passed through it ineffectively as it moved to the far end of the battlefield.

Link charged it as it remanifested, landing another five strikes with her lance; then it raised its weapon skyward, and it moved along its grip, the head retreating against its hold as it poised directly above Link. She barely had time to step aside before it came down, and light  _burst_ from its connection, throwing her back. She managed to get to her feet, thrusting at it the creature again; when another five had landed, it drew it lance across its body, and it moved again to extend its reach before sweeping forward.

This time she moved  _over_ it, letting it pass beneath her greaves without a touch; the creature slowed again as she landed, moving in for another flurry of blows. She only got another five hits out before this weapon, too, shattered - Sheikah light armaments didn't last long without being attached to a Guardian Scout as a constant source of energy. One more spear appeared with another few taps of her Sheikah Slate; this one Zora-made as well, with a crescent blade for the spearhead; before the Malice could strike her, she landed another pair of thrusts to its face.

Its body turned to light before the third could connect; this time it moved to the center of the battlefield, and when it manifested, its hand  _glowed_. The water level began to rise; at four points on the battlefield, the floor started to protrude, and Link quickly made her way to one of those points so she would have a solid foothold as Ganon's creation twisted in the air, as though hanging from above.

 _"Careful,"_ Mipha's voice warned her.  _"Not much room to operate..."_

"I'm fine," Link insisted. "This thing needs to die!"

The creature quickly moved to above the platform nearest Link's; then, before she could approach it, a block of ice - like those Ruta had manifested - shot out of the water. It surged towards Link; she quickly grabbed her Sheikah Slate and triggered the Cryonis rune, shattering the block. Then, before the Malice could react, she drew her Silver Bow and an arrow, taking aim. The first shot missed the prongs of its face and collided with its body; the second hit it clean in the eye, knocking it out of the air, and she quickly charged forward.

She managed to land eight strikes before the thing was able to rise and fade, retreating to the opposite side of the battlefield. Ice again, three blocks this time; Link shattered two before they could move and the third one mid-motion, then tapped at the Slate's surface and drew her bow again. This time she seized a Fire Arrows as she shot; the ignition as it connected with its eye didn't give the arrow enough impact to knock the creature out of the air, but it would still harming it.

She failed to see its lance move before it was already mid-flight; she quickly stepped aside, causing the weapon to impale itself in the platform beside her and then dissipate. It turned to light before her next Fire Arrow could connect, moving to the side; five blocks of ice were shattered, two Fire Arrows connected (one striking its eye), and then the lance was thrown again, prompting Link to dive into the water and swim forward. Unfortunately, Ganon's creature took that as provocation to fly to where she had just been; with a groan into the water, she made her way to the other platform on that side, tapping at her slate to grab her Shock Arrows.

Ice blocks were shattered, one shot struck its eye, and one its body before she realized it was moving its lance to swing at her. Link's evasion landed her in the water, and by the time she was on solid ground again, her enemy had already moved to the other side. Fancy weapons weren't doing the trick; she quickly switched back to normal wood arrows as the Malice remanifested. Its ice was shattered as it rose this time; an arrow to the eye didn't do any more or less to the creature than fire or thunder had, nor did the body shot have any extra effect before the Malice threw its lance and vanished before she could raise her bow again.

It reappeared, still on the opposite side; Link had already loosed her arrow when it raised its clawed hand to its face, and for a split instant a stream of red light linked its eye to her body before the arrow connected, throwing it off. It quickly drew its lance back and hurled it forward, and as Link sidestepped she realized this thing had the same blasting power as the Guardians.

An idea rose in her mind - terrible, idiotic, but if it worked...

The Malice faded and strafed aside again; this time, when it took aim at her, she readied her Silver Shield.

And when that blast of light surged forth from its eye, she moved her shield into it - to send it back the way it came.

The light struck Ganon's creation - the power of a Guardian colliding full-force with a servant of the creature it was meant to destroy. The Malice's control over Ruta's water faltered, and the flow in the room descended, followed shortly by the platforms that had raised from the floor. The creature writhed in the air, and Link raised her shield again - this time to cover her eyes - as light pierced its body and shone violently across the room around it.

When it faded, Link stood alone in Ruta; the Malice had fled, and starlight now poured through Ruta's archways.

The control unit had been bared; slowly, cautiously, Link approached it, drawing her Sheikah Slate from her hip. Cautious, uncertain, she set it against the Guidance Stone on the front of the unit - and it began to shine, slowly pulsing with a far more benevolent light.

"Hello, Link."

The Hylian Champion turned; this voice sounded much more solid.

"Because of your courage, my spirit is now free. Thank you."

Standing there was a Zora of red scales, draped in a sash of goddess azure... and surrounded by spectral flames that illuminated the darkness in Ruta.

"Mipha..."

Sorrow wrought Link as she whispered her name; tears began to well up in her eyes, and her head bowed as she tried to fight them. "I'm... I'm sorry," she pleaded. "I'm sorry..."

With a shake of her head, Mipha stepped forward. "You have no need to," she assured her. "You could not have stopped this. And you did not ask for this. I chose to lay my life down, as a Champion. I have no regrets."

She set her hand on Link's shoulder - and Link was shocked when she felt her touch. Her gaze rose to find Mipha smiling. "Yesterday... I was awash in a pool of tears. I had nearly given up hope, and condemned myself to being trapped here, as a spirit, for the rest of eternity." Her other hand reached up, cupping her beloved's face. "But now, you're here. All this time... my hope was to be with you once more."

"I-I'm sorry," Link whispered again. "I can't..."

"I know," Mipha assured her. "Ruta and I have our roles to fulfill - and you have yours. But I will be with you always. And I will always be willing to protect you."

Her arms circled Link in a sorrowful embrace - and as Link returned it, she felt that cleansing light washing over her again.

"No matter when, or how bad the wound."

After a sorrowful moment, Ruta began to dim; Link's body was being pulled away, the Divine Beast delivering her to where those awaited for her.

"Save her, Link. Save Princess Zelda. Please..."


End file.
